Post-Prom Buzz-o-Meter

We’re going to have gavel-to-gavel coverage (or, more accurately, cocktail-to-cocktail coverage) of the weekend’s prom festivities all day today.

For openers, here’s an updated after-the-fact Buzz-O-Meter:

1) Newsweek pre-party :: Newsweek’s basement pre-party proved the Giacomo of Prom this year–the long-shot winner who came out of nowhere to win the evening decisively. With George Clooney, Henry Kissinger, and Madeline Albright, among others, it was the only event that actually was A-List. And, the most incredible thing, it was for Newsweek of all publications.

2) Bloomberg :: One only needs to look at the branded Bloomberg chocolates (above) to get a sense of the party’s over-the-top swankiness. Besides providing a trip to sovereign Macedonian territory and all the fruit infused-vodka shots you could manage, as well as big names from Isiah Washington to Stephen Colbert to Antonin Scalia, Bloomberg also sent its guests home with chocolates, and Bloomberg party slippers, wrapped in purple ribbon. Judith Czelusniak earned her pay for another year.

3) Tammy Haddad‘s Brunch :: This growing and increasingly swanky pre-prom brunch in the Palisades is better than most of the pre-parties actually at the Hilton. You can’t beat chatting with Chris Matthews in a Boston Red Sox hat while sipping a mimosa. Oh, and by the way, that is Morgan Fairchild over in the corner.

4) Prom Dinner Itself :: Yes, there is a dinner in the middle of all the drinking. The food’s forgettable, the company and conversation loud, and this year the George W. Bush tag team brought the house down. Too bad Stephen Colbert sucked. Colbert, you’re on notice.

5) The McLaughlin Brunch :: There aren’t many events so establishment that Michael Chertoff and his wife can get their plate of snacks in the middle of the crowd without being disturbed. Plus you have to admire any place that brings Al Sharpton and Pat Buchanan together under the same big tent. Plus, oh, the view.

6) The Atlantic Pre-Party :: Typically a highlight of Prom, this year’s party fell a big flat. You can’t beat the poolside real estate, but the hot Hollywood guests seem to have gone missing. Maureen Dowd and Mitt Romney do not a hot gathering make.

7) Cap File :: If you want to see what Cafe Milano was like Saturday night, try stopping by the Georgetown nightspot tonight. The crowd’ll be mostly the same.

8) Reuters :: Think of Reuters as the Howard Dean of 2006. The insurgent got all the big press and then came up short when the votes were counted. While no party with Theivery Corporation can be too bad, the most-heard word to describe the festivities was “dead.” Better luck next year.

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